SMS text messaging is rapidly becoming the messaging medium of choice for larger and larger segments of the public, and is now the most widely used data application in the world. It enables the sending of short text messages to mobile phones, and in this way it enables mobile phone users the benefits of limited functions from the worlds of paging, email and instant messaging. Typically, SMS messages are sent from one mobile telephone user to another, for example, confirming an appointment, or just simply sending a greeting. MMS messaging extends the capability of SMS messaging by allowing multimedia content to be sent to and from mobile phones.
Increasingly, businesses are also using SMS or MMS messages to communicate with customers and potential customers, for example, to send details of special offers or discount codes. Advertisers are also increasingly using SMS and MMS messaging to send unsolicited bulk messages, known as “spam”, to mobile phone users indiscriminately. Fraudsters and other entities may also send unsolicited messages, such as “phishing” messages, messages with URLs pointing to malware sites, or messages with faked source numbers or addresses, to users. These messages are also considered to be spam. Such messages can be particularly irritating to users, not only for the inconvenience, but also because, in some markets, users are charged a fee per message received.
Heretofore, counteracting mobile phone spam has been hindered by the limited availability of mobile phone spam-filtering software. Furthermore, filtering SMS or MMS spam at the recipient device is an imperfect solution in markets where users are charged to receive messages, since the user would be charged for the message once the provider sent it, even if software on the device blocked it from appearing on the device's display. However, this problem is not present in most of the world outside North America, as users are not generally charged to receive messages. Nonetheless, a solution whereby spam messages can be filtered by the network before receipt by the user would be preferable. However, the issue is complicated further by the fact that in certain countries network operators are not permitted to view SMS or MMS message content without the consent of the message originator or recipient. Additionally, as spam content becomes more sophisticated, more complex anti-spam content filters that can be updated in real-time to control new spam threats are required. Categorisation of messages as spam is not straightforward and often requires human input.
In February 2010, the GSM Association (GSMA) announced a pilot program, called Spam Reporting Service (SRS), that allows subscribers to report SMS spam by forwarding it to short-code 7726. Mobile Network Operators can access the information stored by the SRS to learn about emerging spam threats. The SRS also allows Mobile Network Operators to obtain detailed information on the content, senders and reporters of spam and then take appropriate action, such as updating rules in any filter system that they have in their network. The user forwards the spam message to a short-code associated with an SRS server, usually short-code 7726, but different codes may apply in individual countries. The forwarded message is routed from the user via the SMSC in the normal way, and then delivered to the SRS server over Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP), External Machine Interface (EMI) or other application protocol. Although the forwarded message contains the same text content as the spam message, it does not contain the calling number of the spam message; rather, the calling number of the forwarded message is the Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network-Number (MSISDN) of the reporting user who forwards the message. Similarly, the forwarded message does not include other meta-data of the spam message that could potentially identify the source of the spam, such as the originating network address. In order to identify the calling number of the spam message, the SRS server returns an SMS request message to the reporting user (addressed by MSISDN), requesting the user to respond to this SMS request message with the calling number in a new SMS message. Other similar services are operated by other organisations, such as Fédération Française des Télécoms, which uses short code 33700.
Although this arrangement overcomes a number of the issues involved in spam filtering for SMS messages, there are a number of disadvantages associated with it. Firstly, by requiring the user to send a second text message, it provides a cumbersome and inconvenient user experience, which results in many users not sending a response to the request message, in which case the “spammer” or other source detail cannot be identified. Depending on the capabilities of the user's handset, the user may have to retype the calling number of the spam message manually when responding to the request message, and this can result in errors and thus unintentional categorisation of the mistyped calling number as a spam source. Furthermore, the calling number alone may not be sufficient to identify the source network and narrow down the source of the spam.
Spam-reporting applications or “apps” are also available for smartphones, such as those based on Android, iOS or Windows Phone platforms. An app is provided on the phone during manufacture, or downloaded to the phone, and may operate in an integrated manner with an SMS client on the phone. When an SMS or MMS message is opened by the user, a menu option to “Report as spam” may be provided. If the user selects this option, the app reads the content of and the metadata associated with the message from the phone or SIM card and transmits it to an SRS server. There are a number of drawbacks associated with this arrangement. It requires separate apps to be developed for each different platform. Additionally, unless the app is provided on the phone at the time of manufacture, the user must download the app to the phone which is inconvenient and may incur costs. Furthermore, mobile phones which are not smartphones and are thus not capable of running apps cannot avail of this technology. Another disadvantage is that the app can only access metadata which is stored on the phone or SIM card. For example, the source network address (SCCP Calling Party Address) of the spam message is not stored on the phone or SIM card and is thus not available to such apps.
It is therefore desirable to provide a method for user reporting of spam mobile messages, which provides an improved user experience and which has an improved ability to identify the source of mobile spam and which can be accessed by users regardless of the type of handset they are using.